Legend of Zelda: The Beginning
by Jordan2k4
Summary: This story delves into the origins of Link, Zelda, and Ganon. It could be considered a reboot of the popular series. An evil force from another world has joined forces with Ganon to obtain the legendary Triforce and concur the world that our two heros inhabit. Link and Zelda meet for the first time, and must overcome their differences in order to survive the threat.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter**

**1**

The sun Forelia hung burning bright and warm in the cold, distant reaches of space. Octalius, Lolana, and Likinia, the three inner planets danced lazily around the sun. Conducting their merry circles, they gave life to many in the lone galaxy. Twilamea and Janus were the middle worlds, and among the largest of the planets. The outer planets danced a figure eight around the sun Forelia and its brother star Constance. They were Lupo, Darkendrake, and Fourmor.

For many millennia the planets and their residence remained in peace and harmony with one another. But something dark and sinister lay dormant in the hearts of the beings of Darkendrake. One morning, while the inner planets were just waking up to another bright day brought on by Forelia, three beings came into the galaxy. No one saw them or knew of their presents. But the three forms had appeared none the less, between the planets Likinia and Twilamea.

"This will do sister." said one of the beings dressed in a blue and gold robe. Her hair was medium in length and a caramel brown; her eyes electric blue.

"You have made a wise choice as always Nayru, I find this spot suitable as well." said the second being. This one's form was short and slender. She had wings of silver that flickered into existence and then away from behind her green robes. She was very pretty, with bright hazel eyes and long gold hair that waved like the water in the ocean.

"You always agree with her Farore," said the third being, "but she is always right. I suppose we shall start here." This being wore blood red robes that matched her short, sleek hair. Her skin was very tan and almost looked as if on fire. Her eyes were an emerald green.

"Din, your concern for perfection is always in the forefront of my thoughts." Nayru said.

Din cupped her hands together and when pulled apart, revealed a small red orb-like rock. The woman pushed the rock into space where it came to a halt between Likinia and Twilamea. Din touched her finger tips of both hands and when she pulled them apart the red rock expanded in sync. Din closed her hands slightly and the globe shrank. Just then Likinia floated by, missing the red rock. The three women waited nearly a year, and then Twilamea passed without so much as touching the infant planet.

Din floated back and next to her sisters. Nayru drifted forward, she placed both her hands forward and released a beam of light that hit center in the planet. The rocky crust broke open and from the seams burst rays of gold and white light. Nayru finished and placed her hands at her sides. She then snapped her fingers and the rocky crust collided back together and the light disappeared within.

"The laws of the world have been made." said Nayru, upon floating back to her sister's sides.

Lastly, Farore lingered forth. Her green robes seemed to blow in a breeze that never existed. She stopped where her sisters before had and blew the planet a kiss. "Let life be brought to this world. Where the inhabitants, in a place of uncertainty, and so far from the other worlds of the universe, would guard it as they would their own babe." said Farore. No more than a second later a wellspring burst from the planets crust covering it in turquois blue water; the remaining land turned green. The sisters could hear the sounds of life stirring on the planet below.

"What shall we call it?" asked Din.

"Serenity." answered Nayru.

"I agree." Farore chimed in.

"You would." said Din snarky. "Serenity it is then sister."

"We will leave the beings of this world with a parting gift. Should they ever have need to call upon us. Let them find and unite our relics." said Forare holding a gold stone triangle. The other sisters held out theirs as well. "Let us toss these stones to the land below sisters, and prey that our planet will never have need of them."

The three beings threw their stone pieces to Serenity. "Let us disembark this plain." Nayru said, and with that the three women faded away into the black of space.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter**

**2**

Five thousand years passed since the creation of Serenity and life had flourished and prospered. Many kingdoms and tribes had found homes across the lands and all was right on Serenity. To ensure that good order and discipline across the world of Serenity, four major kingdoms that had gained the most power of all the ruling territories were pronounced the monarchs over each continent. The first was the Kingdom of Loja, of the land of Lojanna. These were a proud race of Elvin people, known for their pioneering and innovations. Next was the Arvenian Kingdom. These elves were a powerful race, who believed hard work and dedication was most important above all else. Third, was the Quenivalia Kingdom. These elfish folk were the most in tune with the planet. It was said that they could even speak with nature. Lastly, the Kingdom of Hyrule, of the Hyrulian people, this kingdom and its people were firm believers in the value of a person, of justice, of fairness. The King, Lord Valtra, was known widely as the fairest man Serenity had ever known.

The lands lived in peace with one another. With the law of will and free choice came the consequence of ill choices. But the Lords of the lands were fair and swift to ensure all was set right again. The residence of the land lived in complete harmony for the five thousand years the planet had been alive.

On an evening in which the sun was setting, giving a deep red illumination on the land of Hyrule in a ruby glow. The King walked into his bedchambers to meet with his wizard Juno. The two were to discuss plans on exploring an ancient cave that was discovered not more than a week ago. Normally, a cave's discovery wouldn't be something to bring to the attention of a King. But this was no ordinary cave. In fact, aside from remaining hidden from the Hyrulians, it was discovered that this cave housed an enormous amount of a strange mystical power.

The King had planned on examining the mystical cave for himself. But when his wife showed signs of worry, he decided to gather a band to escort him. Juno and Queen Tilda sat at the bedside table with cups of steaming liquid, discussing the annual festival coming soon. The Festival of the Goddesses was a time to celebrate the creation of the world and its people. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important." King Valtra said with a smile.

"Nothing dear, Juno and I were just discussing some arrangements for the festival this year." Queen Tilda replied.

"Yes Sir, your wife, the Queen had the grand idea of a three elf winning lottery at the end of the festival. The winners of said lottery would have all debt wiped away and be given one thousand rupees." Juno said.

"Ah yes," the King sighed as he gazed upon his wife, "help out the people in need. Very good idea then." he said. "Where's Zelda this evening?" he asked.

The Queen's eyes gave a look of obviousness, "Do you have to ask?" she said.

"I suppose not. She does love that garden." the King chuckled. "And I suppose…" the King began.

"Yes, she is. Reading books of ancient wars, relics, powers. The same." the Queen said, finishing her husband's sentence.

"She gets it from her mother, Juno." said the King. Juno laughed and agreed in compliance. "So my friend, what have we planned for this ancient cave of power?" asked King Valtra.

"Your Highness, I have requested the help of the Kingdom's finest guards as well as a man named Ganon. He is a very skilled survivalist and explorer from the land Gerudop'Jui. He hails from the Gerudo tribe, who speak highly of his accomplishments. I myself, will be coming along to ensure your safety Sir, should any curses or witchcraft fall upon us." Juno said.

"Glad to hear you'll be at my side Juno." the King said, pouring himself a cup of the steaming tea. "When do we leave?"

"We set out tomorrow at sunrise Sire." Juno began.

"What about the festival my love?" inquired the Queen, "The people will expect you to be there."

"We will ride to the cave and spend two days examining its purpose. We shall return thereafter your Majesty. This whole escapade should only take but four days at most. I'll have your husband back in time for the festivities." Juno said in reassurance. The Queen smiled and nodded in approval as she sipped her drink.

"That settles it then. Let us retreat for some much needed shut eye before our journey. Juno I will meet everyone in the courtyard tomorrow." the King said.

"Yes your Highness. Good night." Juno said bowing out of the chambers.

"One more thing Juno," said the King, the wizard poking his head in the doorway, "could you please hail my daughter for me?" he asked.

"Of course Sire." replied Juno. Then the wizard slipped away and to the gardens. Juno made his way through the castle halls and down through the dining hall. He walked through the kitchen and out the back door to a veranda that led to the pen house. Down the dirt road he went until he came to an arch made from a wall of hedges. Juno made his way through the various gardens, gazebos, over bridges and finally to a small clearing surrounded by a circular stream and multicolored flowers. There, sitting on a bench was Princess Zelda.

"Princess," Juno whispered, attempting to not be rude and disturb the Princess in a loud fashion while she read.

Zelda looked up, "Yes Juno, how are you this evening?" she inquired.

"I'm fine my dear, thank you. I rather hate to bother you, but your father asked for your presents in the family chambers." Juno relayed.

Zelda put the book down and hopped to her feet, "This must be about the cave we are going to examine tomorrow." she said. Juno stuttered; he didn't know what to say, or how to tell the Princess that she wasn't going. Zelda zipped by the man and left him standing there shaking his head. He knew she was about to be very disappointed.

Zelda hurried through the palace and to her parent's quarters. She reached the door and knocked loudly. "Enter dear." her mother called to her.

Zelda opened the door and entered the room, "Yes father, you summoned for me?" she inquired.

"Honey come over here and have a seat, please have some tea if you like." the King said, removing his grieves and boots. Zelda sat at the table and sipped a warm drink. Out of the window she caught sight of a pink fairy floating in the gentle breeze. She looked back to her father who stared at her hard. "I know this isn't what you wanted to hear my love, but you will not be accompanying the band to the cave." the King said, breaking the news.

"What?" Zelda exclaimed in shock and disbelief.

"Honey we just don't think it's safe for you to go. We need you here to help with the festival." her mother said in an attempt to comfort her daughter.

Zelda looked from her mother to her father, "Daddy, that's not fair. You said I was allowed this adventure." she said, fighting back her frustration. Her voice quivered but a little, and her parents knew she was upset.

"My dear you have helped your father on many adventures, and will do so in the future. Just not this one I'm afraid." the Queen said softly.

"But I'm twenty. I'm no longer a little girl." Zelda argued.

"We understand Zelda, but we feel this has the potential to be dangerous." Tilda said.

"Father," Zelda said, looking at the King for support, "what about all those fencing or archery lessons? What about my spellbinding class, I suppose they count for nothing?" Zelda said in a fit.

"Young lady, you are not coming and that is that." blurted the King. "I'm sorry you don't agree with your mother's and my choice. But we are looking out for your safety as your parents."

"Do me a favor mother, father… don't." cried Zelda. And with that, the Princess stormed out of the room and back to hers.

The King sighed deeply, his head hung low as he sat on the edge of the bed. "She'll be fine honey." Tilda said, wrapping her arms around her husband's broad shoulders.

"I just hate being the bad guy to our daughter. I love bringing her with us as we ride the lands." Valtra said.

"I know, but I just have a dreadful feeling about this. I worry about you as well my dear." said the Queen. The King turned to face his wife, "I know it's your duty and you have my support as your Queen. But as your wife, I would not have you gallivanting about fixing the world's problems." she said.

The King leaned in and kissed his wife, "And for that I am grateful my love." he said as he blew out the candle by his bedside. He wiggled his way down the blankets and made himself cozy. The Queen drew up a book and read for only an hour before turning is as well.

The next morning, King Valtra called in his squire and suited up for the journey ahead. Once his armor was donned he and his squire Freesha made their way down to the stalls. They climbed upon their steeds and rode out to the courtyard just before the draw bridge. There the two met with Juno and the four guardsmen, along with a tall, dark man who Juno introduced as Ganon of Gerudo. The King gave one last glance at his castle, and caught sight of his wife on a balcony. Valtra looked for his daughter, but she was nowhere to be seen. He felt heavy hearted about the disagreement the night before.

"You Highness, if you are ready we shall make for the cave." said Juno. The King waved to his wife, and then nodded to his men. The group galloped across the bridge and out of the Queen's sight. She stood on the balcony; deep in her gut welled a feeling of fear and despair. She said a quick prayer under her breath for her husband's safe return. Tilda retreated from the porch and went inside to look for her daughter. She was disappointed that Zelda hadn't shown to bid farewell to her father.

The Queen walked through nearly every room, but no Zelda. She and a gathering of maids made their way along the castle's grounds, but to no avail. The Queen was becoming worried. She feared her daughter might have made a brash choice, but her Highness quickly struck the thought from mind and decided to search the city. With her entourage of housemaids, the ladies scoured the city streets, searching every building they could. Finally the party met back at the castle, still with no Princess. The Queen's feelings were that of anger and worry. She stormed to her chamber and grabbed her lucky pendant. She clutched it tight to her breast, _how could her daughter_, she thought. _How could she be so foolish, so selfish?_ Tilda threw her pendant hard against the wall in frustration. The metal and gem necklace bounced to the floor. The Queen buried her eyes in her hands and began to cry.

By nightfall the King and his crew had arrived at the outskirts of an open plain, full of thick, boulder-like jagged rocks. A single, narrow road led deep into the maze of stones. The group dismounted and set up camp. The Kings pitched a small, but rich tent next to a large rock. The rest made a circle and started a small fire in the center. The only one who wasn't a part of the campsite was the survivalist.

"Sir Ganon, please join us." the King called to the man. Ganon stood next to his horse, and was the same height as the great steed. He was of muscular build, but that was hidden under his sand colored robes. Ganon removed his hood and walked over to join the others.

"I am grateful for your Highness' permission to attend this party." Ganon said with a low, rich voice.

"Of course, you're just as much a part of this group as I. We should be so lucky to have your expertise in our company." the King said.

"Gratitude your Majesty." replied Ganon.

"Tell me about yourself Sir Ganon of Gerudo. What's it like where you come from?" inquired the King.

Ganon stared into the fire, "I come from a world full of sand." he began. "My people are great in numbers, though I am the only male." he said.

The other elves chuckled, making comments of how lucky he must be or how they wish they were born in his land. Ganon seemed to pay no attention to the others remarks.

"I would say it must be difficult, the weight and pressure you hold. The sole bearer of your people's lineage." said King Valtra.

The dark man looked taken aback by the King's comment, and then he replied, "It is a hardship and a blessing of its own. I hope someday to remedy the ailment, or rather belief, ritual, whatever you'd like to call it."

The fire had started to die, so Juno pointed his wand at the kindling and instantly the flames grew stronger. The guards threw some fresh wood in to keep the flames alive for a while longer. The group didn't stay awake for long before drifting off to sleep, leaving one man posted and on the lookout for wild beasts roaming the land. That night the King had strange dreams of a man in black armor invading his fantasy. It was a restless night for the King that night.

When the next morning came, the men had awakened to the shrieks coming from the rocky plains. The King relaxed and stretched when he realized they were in no immediate danger. The men had a small snack before packing their gear and bagging it upon their horse's backs. Once upon their steeds, the party disembarked into the stone plains. Even on horseback, the stones sat just a few inches higher than all the elves, save Ganon; who led the party. The trail was too narrow to hold any secure formation; therefore the band formed a single file line. Following Ganon was a guard and Juno, then came King Valtra, followed up by the remaining three guards.

Overhead a giant hawk glided by, leaving an expansive shadow that past over the party. The King was grateful to have been afforded the opportunity to view such a rare spectacle. Giant hawks were a rarity in Hyrule. And since the King was an accomplished hunter, he knew that the sighting meant that there was food nearby for the bird; whether already dead, or soon to be.

After the course of an hour, Ganon led the line down a steep slope and through a valley that opened up, revealing a stretch of turf. At the end of the grass field was a low-lying mound. Upon drawing nearer, the King and his party found that the mound was actually the mouth of the mysterious cave. "Your Highness we have arrived." Ganon informed.

The King stared at the mouth, "Why haven't we seen this before?" he inquired. "We've traveled these lands and know them inside and out."

Juno spoke up, "Sire, I believe that this cave's opening is the result of magic. I'm getting a strong feeling here. The land has been tampered with."

"You're saying the cave was made from magic?" a guard asked.

"No, the cave has always been here. But it has remained hidden by virtue of magical properties. Whoever concealed this hollow has recently revealed it again." answered Juno.

The King finally broke his gaze from the opening and looked to Juno, "We are in the middle of summer, why then does it snow in this grotto?" he asked.

The wizard took a sterner look into the cave's mouth; flakes of snow fell from the rooftop and blanketed the walls. Something felt wrong, but the reason evaded his thoughts. Ganon dismounted his horse and tied her to a large root that had protruded from the land beside the mouth. "We will have to trek on foot from here Sir." he said to the King. The rest of the band followed there guides lead and situated their steeds at the cave's opening.

At the far, right corner of the cave's mouth was a narrow pathway leading down into the cavern. The party reassembled their single file line and carefully climbed down the rocky stairway. Though snow was falling, the cave did not have a winter's chill, nor could the party see their breath in the air. Further down, the King was astonished by the sight of gems carved into strange symbols emended into the walls of the cave. The gems gave off a brilliant green glow that aided the far-stretched torches that hung on the walls; though lighting was dim, it was enough to find their way down.

The King pointed out the symbols to Juno. The wizard stopped to examine the characters, but could make nothing of them. The signs were foreign to the man. The two men decided they would put more attention towards the gems at a later time, for now they pushed further inward. The further down the King scaled the cave, the more foliage he noticed and the less snow sat upon the walls. It took the King and his men longer than anticipated to reach the bottom of a cave that seemed to never end.

"We've finally made it to the floor." the King sighed as he stepped from the last rocky tread to the grassy floor. Juno sat on a nearby rock; his face was pale and gaunt. "Juno my friend, you look terrible." the King said taking notice, "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes Sire, I'm fine," the wizard replied, now in a mild sweat, "I am feeling an evil presents here. I feel as if I am being drained."

"I fear this place is cursed." King Valtra said.

"Sire, you may wish to look at this." Ganon called from the far end of the room.

The King pushed his way through the giant mushrooms, glowing ferns, flowers that snapped as he passed, until he made it to Ganon's position. "The plant life is plentiful down here." muttered the King. Ganon and the King stood at a tunnel that opened to a large room. Inside the room was an enormous willow tree. The willow leaves gave a light blue glow which illuminated the cave's room. At the base of the tree was a small pond. The King could barely make out an object floating above the water's surface.

The King walked into the room, Ganon followed close behind. Once through the tunnel a wall of invisible magic sealed off the two rooms. The guards attempted to follow their Lord into the cave but were stopped by invisible wall. The guards shouted to their King, but it seemed that Valtra could not hear their calls. One of the guards rushed back to Juno and informed him what was happening. The sickly wizard barely managed to get to his feet, so the guard lifted him over his shoulder and assisted the weakened man to the room's entrance.

What the simple elves could not see was a glistening wall of magic blocking their entrance to the room the King had entered. Juno feared what possible harm might befall his King. He meekly lifted his staff and pointed it at the entrance. He chanted an incantation and a bolt of lightning crackled forth, but was returned by the same magic force the wizard hoped to thwart. Juno's bolt ricocheted back and struck a guard. The elf shrieked and collapsed on the floor. The three remaining guards and the wizard watched, helpless to aid their King.

In the room King Valtra walked up to the pool and stopped at the water's edge. Ganon stayed five paces behind. The King had not noticed that his detail had not managed to stay at his side. He stared at the floating object; it was a black cape. The mantle hung suspended in air two feet off the water. A strange essence emulated from the cloak. It drew the King in, for some reason, foreign to the King, he needed that cape. It called to him, to his subconscious. The King, without thinking stepped into the pool; it was shallow and so the Lord walked up to the cape. He paused a moment, and for a split second felt the urge to turn away. But that feeling was quickly overcome by a flooding sense to take hold of whatever this mantle was.

Meanwhile, the whole time the King and his party had traveled the Hyrulian lands, Princess Zelda had not been far behind. After her father had denied her permission to join his band of explorers, the Princess retreated to her room to pack, for she was going whether her father knew it or not. She had dressed in royal pants and blouse but concealed her wealthy look by way of common cloak. Zelda had spent the night in the horses' stalls in a corner bed made of hay. When her father had come to retrieve his horse she had awoken, unseen, and once the King had departed she mounted her horse and followed at a distance.

When her father set up camp for the night, Princess Zelda did as well. She set up her own tent not more than one hundred feet away. She made a fire and set up a place for her horse. But, before doing so, Zelda made sure to conceal herself with a masking spell she learned from Juno. In doing so, none of the King's men could see or hear the Princess' camp. Her tent was simple and small from the outside appearance, but once inside the bivouac opened into a lavish, three room hut. She made sure that she was at least one hundred feet away so as not to raise any suspicion from Juno.

In the morning, Zelda followed her father's party through the stone plains. She even kept an eye on him through the view of a giant hawk she had sent for the night before. Once in the cave, the Princess waited until she could no longer hear the banter between the guards that followed the King before she stalked down the rocky way.

And now, before her eyes, the King's guards were in a frantic commotion over something. "Princess, come to me." Juno said, sitting on a rock.

Zelda couldn't believe it, how could he have known she was there in the cave with them was beyond her. "How did you know Sir Juno?" she asked.

"I've know you were with us after a giant hawk flew over us." Juno said through his meager voice.

"Are you okay? You look sick?" the Princess inquired.

"This place is cursed my dear. There is something terribly wrong and sinister afoot here." Juno said. "I fear for the King."

Zelda did not like the sound of that, "Guide me in what I must do." she said with great conviction.

But the wizard waved his hand for her to settle down, "You must not draw attention to yourself my dear. Stay here, out of sight, out of mind." The Princess nodded, "The guards will come to me for help soon. Do not let them detect you. If we should fall here, get back to the safety of the castle." the wizard ordered. "Do you understand me?" he asked. Zelda nodded again, this time her brave look had turned to fear. "Hide now child, the guards come for me." ordered Juno.

Princess Zelda took veiled herself in the thick foliage and watched the elven guards attempted to breach the magic barrier and reunite with her father. And then a guard collapsed. She almost let out a gasp, but remained silent. Suddenly a dark violet light burst through the tunnel and filled the entire cave system. Zelda covered her eyes and turned her head away; the lights rays were immeasurably blinding. And before she could shield her eyes, the last thing she saw was the guards and Juno being tossed back.

After a few seconds the Princess opened her eyes carefully. A deep purple illumination lingered in the caves. She stood and looked at the shrubbery and herbs. Everything was dead and wilted. Zelda had a sinking feeling in her gut; she didn't feel right about her surroundings. She carefully crept over to the guards and her heart instantly began to flutter. The elves had disappeared, and in their place lay skeletons in their armor. Just then a loud cackle came from her father's room. Zelda stepped to the archway and poked her head around the corner.

"No!" she gasped at the sight of her father. The King had on a strange cap that seemed to be strangling him, or sapping his energy. And there, standing in front of him was the tall, dark man. To the Princess' misfortune, the man must have heard her, for he turned to face her. Zelda knew it was pointless to hide and entered the doorway. "Who are you? And what do you want with my father?" she asked.

The man walked towards the small girl, "My name is Ganondorf, of the Gerudo tribe, land of Gerudo'Jai." he said. Zelda froze; Ganon's presents struck fear into the Princess and seemed to paralyze her body. She tried to run, she wanted to run, but she was afraid that would only enrage the large man even more. "My Princess, I need your father to find the sacred pieced of the Triforce. Right now I am removing all memories, all thoughts from his mind. Soon he will be just a common man. No, less than that." Ganon scoffed.

That was what the Princess needed, that jeer knocked her senses back to her. She flicked her hands upward sending two crescent waves towards the dark elf. Ganon sidestepped the first as it disappeared into dust after narrowly missing him. The second however landed a cutting blow directly into his right shoulder. But Ganon seemed unfazed by the attack. He grinned at the Princess and before she knew it he was standing right behind her. "Boo." he whispered into her ear. Her heart stopped, but only for a moment. In that split second time seemed to stand still for the young woman. She quickly vanished into a cloud of pearl smoke as Ganono attempted to grab the Princess. The smoke whipped around behind the man and by the entrance to the room Zelda appeared again. She took one last glance at her father; she knew she wouldn't see him again for some time, if ever. Then she turned and sprinted out of the chamber and through the adjacent chamber.

Ganon let out a sinister laugh that rang through the cave after the girl. He pointed to his sides and in a puff of black smoke appeared two large, humanoid-like pigs dressed in leather armor and brandishing long pikes. "Go get her. Make sure she doesn't make it to the castle. I would like her alive if possible. If not…" his ordered trickled off. The bores nodded and ran out of the room after the girl. Zelda sprinted up the stairway of the cave in effort to escape Ganon. Her legs grew weary no more than a quarter of the way up. The Princess paused but only for a moment as she replenished her stamina with an overcharged spell. She managed to sprint the rest of the way out of the cave with the aid of her magic.

Once topside, Zelda quickly found her horse and hopped onto her saddle. She whipped the reigns and the horse galloped away from the mouth of the cave and down the field; and just in time, as a bore had nearly landed on the unsuspecting Princess as it leapt from the cave in an enormous amount of strength. The pigs, though running on their two hind legs, were very fast and were able to match pace with Zelda's mare. The Princess had never been more afraid in her life. She regretted leaving the castle and following her dad. She scolded herself for being so stubborn. Now, she knew not if she'd ever see her mother again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter**

**3**

"You have to parry, then thrust my boy." said a man dressed in a green tunic as he demonstrated to a young man. The boy looked tired from the day's sun beating down upon his body. "You aren't tired are you?" the man asked.

"No, I'm ready. Let's try it again." the young man said. The two repositioned, and the man swung his sword overhead towards the boy. The boy blocked in a manner that let his opponent's blade slide from his with a little push. He hastily turned his sword around to face backwards, and the boy stepped back hard thrusting his sword at the man. _CLANG_, went the metal of the two blades.

The man had blocked the attack, "Good Link. Very good, you've been making much progress." the man said to the boy. "I've watched you grow for twenty one years. Over that time you've become a skilled hunter, a great swordsman, and a fine young man. I am honored to call you my son." the man said to his boy with a pat on his back.

"Thanks dad. I couldn't have become what I am today without you." replied Link.

"Your mother would be proud of you son." Link's father said. "What say you go clean up and go talk to that young lady… what's her name?" the old man said looking to the sky as he pretended to think of the girls name.

Link sighed, "Dad, you mean Janelle?"

"That's the girl! You two are always gawking at eachother. Why not find some flowers and stop by her house, invite her for dinner tonight." the man said.

"Dad." laughed Link partially embarrassed.

"Well, in any case, I must end our training for the day. I have some errands to run." the man said putting his sword away. "I'll see you at Dahlia's for dinner then." Link nodded, and watched as his father stepped away from the small forest clearing. Link stayed for a moment longer perfecting his form in his parry and reverse thrust maneuver. After he felt he had it down, the elf sheathed his sword and gathered his things before making his way back to his house. The elf, his younger sister Rose, and his father Sasha lived in a forest village called Kukoorea. Link had lost his mother at the age six, when his mother fell ill and passed.

The elf had indeed become a fine young man, modeled after his father. The boy had a profound sense of moral justice, as well as courage. His father made sure to raise him to respect others, as well as himself. Link had long blonde hair and a youthful face. The boy had, over the years, forged his body to be athletic, slender in build, but muscular. He and his father had almost matching tunics. The difference was that Sasha's had no embroidery, as it was more traditional, whereas Link's had a scrolly embroidery along the trimming, something fashionable to the youths of the village. He had a pair of matching designer pants that came in white along with fine leather boots.

Link trotted through the thick brush to the road leading back to the village; it didn't take long to arrive at the fence that surrounded the village. He greeted a man sitting in his chair near the barrier as he made his way back to his house. The villagers were coming back from a long day's work. Shopkeepers were turning their lanterns on as the sun was setting behind the forest trees. Link chatted with a few villagers before he finally reached his house. He opened the door to find Nu the fairy, fluttering in the doorway.

"Hey Nu, what's up?" he asked.

"How was your day?" Nu inquired.

"It was good." the boy replied as he stepped around the fairy and walked through the living area, up the spiral stairs and to his room.

The fairy cleared her throat loudly; "Yes Nu?" inquired Link.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked.

Link thought for a moment while he took off his dirty tunic and walked to the bathroom, "Um, I don't know. Am I?" he asked, a bit bewildered.

"I don't know, maybe a little thing like your sister's birthday…" replied Nu in frustration.

Link had just let the water gate go and set hot rocks in the vent to shower when Nu dropped the bomb on him. "Oh crap!" he shouted as he scrambled out of the hot water to grab his towel.

"Don't worry elf, I took care of it." said Nu, floating just outside the bathroom door. The boy knew he had now forgotten the major event for the night. He took the next couple minutes to clean up and change into clean clothes. He decided since it was a special night, it warranted his dress blouse. He stood in front of the mirror and pressed out all the wrinkles in his outfit. Nu hovered above Link's head and tapped it with her tiny wand. From her baton sprouted beautiful ivy petals. The vines laced through the elf's blonde hair, pulling it away from his face and setting it neatly upon his head. "There." the fairy said.

"Thanks Nu. I don't know what I'd do without you." Link said pulling his boots on.

"Uh huh, well _your_ present to your sister is by the door." the fairy said following the elf. Link grabbed an apple from the kitchen to snack on while on his way to meet Janelle at her place.

He paced by the front door when Nu appeared in front of his face in a cloud of glitter, "Awk, Nu. You startled me." he said with a hop back.

Her face was stern, she did not look in the least amused, "Don't forget lover boy," she began, prompting Link rolled his eyes, "you are meeting your father and sister at Dahlia's in thirty minutes. I will be there within the next few minutes. Don't be late." she said.

"Got it Nu," Link said, skipping out the door, "I'll see you there." The elf trotted down the road that led to Janelle's house. The lanterns had been lit in the trees and displayed a multitude of colors throughout the evening sky. He walked down the stairway and across the bridge that overlooked a small waterfall into a pond. Through the baby fern and willow trees he ambled, making sure to pass a nearby neighbor's garden to pluck a bouquet of flowers. After, he came to a diminutive roundabout with three tall and slender houses, each built around tall, strong redwood trees.

Link stepped across the cobblestone walkway at the center house and knocked on the door. A moment later an elderly woman opened the door. "Good evening grandma Ula, is your daughter Mika home tonight?" the boy asked. The old elf looked the young man over, and then mumbled as she retreated into the house, leaving Link at the doorstep. Within a minute a younger woman came to the door. Link bowed and asked, "Good evening Ma'am, I was hoping to have your permission to take your daughter to dinner tonight?"

Mika smiled from pointy ear to pointy ear, "Of course you can Link, you cute, strong, youthful man you." The woman paused a moment to cast a lingering gaze upon the young, male elf. Then she too retreated into the house, leaving Link once again to wait. This time, Link was forced to wait a bit longer than he had planned on. Finally a small elf appeared in the doorway. She was dressed in a pretty pink robe, which matched the tone of her champagne pink hair that she always wore in a wavy ponytail over her left shoulder.

"Hey Link." she greeted the boy. Link was not the romantic type; he preferred to be outdoors getting his hands dirty in whatever job he had. He and Janelle had been childhood friends, and tonight he couldn't help but stare at the girl before him.

His jaw dropped and his eyes lingered. He couldn't find any words to break the silence. Janelle giggled at Link's lack of composure. The boy quickly realized how he must have appeared and held the flowers up, "Uh, um, these are for you Janelle." he stammered. He noticed Mika standing in the back of the room watching the two with a big smile. "You look amazing Janelle."

The young lady blushed bright red, "Thanks Link." she replied. Link put his arm out and Janelle wrapped her arm around his. "Goodbye mother." she called to Mika, who happily watched the two leave.

Link and Janelle strode along a stone path and carried on about their day. The two got along perfectly; mostly in part, they both had mutual interests. Janelle, despite her girly appearance was actually quite a tomboy. The young adults finally made it to Dahlia's, one of only two bakeries in the village. As Link and Janelle walked in, Link realized he had arrived late from the look Nu shot him. Sasha rose from his seat and greeted Janelle and helped her to her seat. Nu and Rose were happy to see Link's friend, for they too had known her most her life.

Link kissed Rose atop her head before seating himself. After dinner, when it came to opening the gifts, Link quickly found that he had forgot his sister's gift. Nu waved her wand and summoned _his_ gift out from under his chair. The elf felt awful, and Nu was going to make sure he wouldn't forget it.

After Rose's birthday dinner, the family went back to their house for some games and desert. When the night had wound to an end, Link escorted Janelle back to her house. "I had a great night with you." he said as the two stopped at her door.

"I did as well. Thank you for taking me." she replied. "I love your family."

"Yeah, I think they love you more than I do." Link said with a halfhearted chuckle. Janelle's eyebrow raised a bit, which Link picked up on immediately, "Not that I don't love you…" he realized what he had just said, "No! I mean I don't…" he tried to recover.

Janelle laughed out loud, "It's okay Link, I know what you mean." she told him. Link rubbed the back of his head shamefully, though he did find comfort in Janelle's words.

"So…" he said, staring into her big eyes.

"So you'll see me tomorrow for lunch, at the orchard." Janelle finished for the awkward boy.

"Yeah." he said with a smile. Janelle kissed his cheek and went inside. Link walked back to his house with a little skip in his step. No sooner had he stepped foot inside his own home, had Nu appeared behind him waiting for his attention. Link closed the door quietly and turned, jumping back in surprise. "Nu, you scared me." he whispered.

"Link, do you know why I stayed up waiting for you?" she inquired. Link gave the fairy a blank stare, he obviously hadn't a clue. "You forgot your sisters gift." she reminded him.

"Ah, yes. I'm sorry Nu." Link apologized.

"You were late." she added.

"Oh, that, well you see…" Link began.

"Link you need to grow up." scolded Nu, "You need to start paying attention to those around you rather than swinging your sword, or shooting your bow, or tossing your boomerang." Link seemed irritated at hearing this reality, but Nu pushed forward, "Someday you're going to meet a special someone, and if you can't remember _their_ birthday… well you are going to have a lot of trouble."

"I get it Nu, I messed up. What do you want from me?" Link hissed back to the fairy as he removed his clothes and put on pajama pants.

"I want you to act like the man I know you can be. You have all these great qualities about you. But sometimes you can be selfish." the fairy pointed out. Link didn't want to hear it and buried his head in his pillow, he was tired and wanted to sleep. Nu grew frustrated and flew out of Link's room.

The next day Link awoke to rays of sun in his eyes. The warm light had snuck in through his window and told him he slept later than he had preferred to. Link sat up and rubbed his eyes, yawned, and put on a clean green tunic. He changed into a pair of his white pants and pulled his boots on. The elf buckled his belt and attached his sheath and sword. Before heading down stairs, Link through on a green cape with a long pointed hood. Stopping by the kitchen the boy grabbed a couple of oranges and a slice of honey oat bread. Link exited his house and went around back to the shed. He grabbed his bow along with his quiver and a handful of arrows. He picked up his boomerang and placed it in the belt that held his quiver.

Today Link was supposed to catch a Bloomtail Dear for the meat market. They were going to offer him two Rupees per pound. Link was a great hunter and this meant the potential to bring some good money home was high. The young elf stopped by the market to reaffirm that the job was still available. Upon receiving word of vacancy for the position, Link made his way to the woods.

The young man had stalked through the forest for more than an hour, tracking various forest creatures but not finding his Bloomtail. He was growing frustrated, not only for the lack of game, but for the words exchanged the night prior. He did not mean to be selfish, it was just that life sometimes threw twists that made it appear that he only focused on himself. He grumbled as he stepped through some bushes, and without even paying attention he tripped over a root and tumbled down a long, steep hill. The tumble proved to hurt more than Link had thought, and at the bottom of the slope he finally lay at the edge of a creek and stared up at the sky.

Clouds had covered the sun turning everything around grey like the sky. Link laid in the mud feeling sorry for himself. And then, the rain set in. "Great." he moaned with a sour face. Link rose to his feet and resituated himself before following the stream westward through the woods. No long after his fall, Link came upon a large Bloomtail buck. He stalked the dear for a while until he felt ready to take it. He grabbed his bow and readied an arrow. He drew back the string and sighted in. Link took a breath and held it, but before he could fire the dear became spooked. It ran off forcing Link to follow it deeper into the woods.

Link stalked the buck to another spot he deemed acceptable for bringing it down. He readied his bow again, and yet again the Bloomtail became spooked. Link grunted in aggravation, and followed the dear deeper in until he had pursued the buck to the edge of the forest. He knew this was going to be a painful task, carrying the dear meat all the way back to the village. This was going to be the final stand; Link was not going to let this dear skirt away again.

The dear stood alongside a high rock wall, dividing the forest from the stone plains. It bent down to nibble on a patch of grass, and Link took this opportunity to ready his bow. The rain was coming down harder making visibility for the elf poorer. He winced as water ran over his eyes, and then sighted in. He drew back the string with an inhaled and held it. And that's when it happened. From over the rock wall to Links right, a body toppled over the cliff side and onto the elf. The two crumpled into the mud and the dear scampered off. Link hurried to his feet, fearing he may have come under attack by a forest goblin. But instead of a furry beast, before him stood a slender, bare figure covered by a muddy cape. The hood fell back and revealed a female elf, around the same age as Link.

"What is your problem?" he groaned in frustration as he brushed the mud from his clothes.

The girl had got her wits about her, and realized what the boy had just asked her. She was offended and replied, "What do you mean 'what is my problem?' Did you not see I fell from that wall?" she jeered with a great amount of attitude returned.

Link sighed, he realized that he approached the situation wrong, "Forgive me, I was just hunting and this mishap has spooked my game. Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No I'm not." the girl said, still a pitch of aggravation in her voice. Just then there came the sound of a branch cracking in the distance. The girl's head turned as if on a swivel, her expression changed and she looked worried.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" inquired Link.

"It's not your problem, just leave me be please." the young woman said.

"You can call me Link." he replied, keeping his cool as best he could. "Maybe I can help you." he offered.

Then came another crack, and suddenly an ugly figure of a bore-like man stood in front of the two wielding a long pike. "Stay away from me!" shouted the girl.

Link knew something was wrong, "State your business Sir." he said stepping between the bore and the girl. The bore grunted in what Link took as a cocky laugh; steam jetting out its large nostrils. The elf gripped the hilt of his sword prompting the swine to lower his pike toward the two. The bore's face turned to an angry frown, and Link readied for a fight. But before the brawl could begin, Link saw another large figure arrive. This one looked just like the foe before them.

"Great…" Link snorted to himself. "This couldn't get worse." he complained. Just then he heard the sloshing of the female elf's feet as she fled the area. The two bore-men took chase to the girl and head butted Link aside as he watched her go. Link grunted as he fell, but got to his feet quickly and chased after the two adversaries.

The mud proved cumbersome and the rain beat the elf down as he pushed after the girl. The two bores maintained a distance that was just out of reach of Link, and he wasn't sure how much longer the girl would keep ahead of her pursuers. Link had to act quickly, and an idea came to mind. He reached back and grabbed his boomerang, and in mid-step tossed the angular weapon. The wood whizzed through the forest and smacked the nearest bore in the back of the head. The beast squealed and turned around, but by the time it was facing the elf boy, Link had hastily closed the gap and rammed his blade into the gut of the pig.

The humanoid swine let out a painful bellow as the elf's sharp, cold metal blade slide up into its ribs. Though the cold rain covered the pig's body, the beast felt warm. Steam emanated from its wound as warm blood seeped out and soaked the already wet armor. Link caught his boomerang as it fell back down to earth and continued after the last piggy. But what he didn't count on, was the foe he just bested was not going to give up yet.

The girl had seemed to lead her follower to a rivers edge where she found herself cornered. To her left, a tall, sharp cliff where the water poured over the side. To her right was a long drop. She turned to face the pig, putting the water at her back. The girl knew she would have to defend herself at this point. She adjusted into an offensive stance and watched the pig as it methodically moved her way. The girl stepped back, and let her arms fall to her side; eyes locked with the beasts. The pig started its charge and the girl attacked as well. She whipped her hands above her head, sending duel crescent beams of light towards her assailant.

What happened next was a confused mess that neither elf could've predicted. The crescent beams made contact with the bore stopping it in its tracks. Meanwhile Link had been running at full speed to catch the last foe and had seen it had slowed down and decided he would pounce on its back. What he didn't expect was for the pig to be knocked backwards. Link dove and smashed into the pigs back and before he knew it he was pinned between two pigs. The pig Link had thought to had ended, had picked up the chase and rammed both Link and it partner. The three toppled over into the girl and the four of them rolled into the river.

Link had hardly any air held in his lungs from being pinned between the two heavy pigs, and as he found himself in the water with his attackers he struggled to break the surface of the water for air. But finally, to his relief, he had broke free and his face found air. His lungs inflated and he opened his eyes. The dark grey sky loomed overhead pouring a torrent of rain upon the land. Link paddled to keep afloat and looked around for the girl. And then he saw her, fighting off a pig that had attached itself to her waist in a shallow portion of the river. The water carried the elf towards the pig and as soon as Link's foot felt ground he pushed forward and tackled the bore.

The beast let go of the girl and the three sprawled apart as the water pushed them in different directions. Link grabbed for his sword, but felt only panic when he found it was not on his belt. He looked down to look for the hilt before receiving a fist to his chin. Link lifted out of the water, and with a small splash fell back into its cool embrace once more. The girl jumped on the pig's back and landed two hammer fists to its head. The swine dropped to one knee in a daze, and then grabbed the elf, throwing her to the water ahead of it. The other pig had arisen behind the girl and grabbed her arms.

Link reached for ground but found he was no longer in the shallows. The pigs and female elf suddenly sank in the deeper waters, which freed the girl. Link swam over to the girl and helped her stabilize herself. She calmed when she found that it was the boy elf and not a pig. "Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded in distress. Just then Link and the girl noticed they had closed the gap between their last position and the falls. Link felt his stomach turn and a rush of adrenaline run through his body. The whole time he hadn't been paying attention to the river's current, and now it had pulled them to the falls. "Hold on to me." he said grabbing the girl's hand. And a moment later, the two went over the edge and plunged all the way down into the misty waters below.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter**

**4**

King Valtra lay on the cold dirt behind a small wall of tree roots that formed a make-shift jail cell. Barely conscious, the King struggled to keep an eye open. His body had no feeling, no energy, no fight. The once strong and vigorous King had now been reduced to a lifeless puppet. He slipped out of conscious and into dark hallucinations, and quickly back to reality again. This state of delusion he dwelled in was that of nightmares. He heard footsteps approach and with one eyes open he gazed upon a black boot standing before his cell. He wanted to move his body, to push himself further back under the tree. But his body would not cooperate.

"Open." came the dark voice the King had grown familiar with. The roots slid aside creating an opening large enough to fit Valtra through. A large gantlet reached down and grabbed the King's collar and dragged him out from under the small holding area. "Lord Valtra," the man said, letting go an evil grin, "How pleasant your company has been as of late."

"Don't mock me Ganon." the King moaned weakly.

"Of course not, you are the great ruler of Hyrule. And with such title come earned respect. I do not think you a weak man, nor a terrible ruler my Lord. But you are not the only one to hold power over the land. I will take my place as ruler of this earth, and when I do not only will the people of the world bow to me, so will the heavens." Ganon said placing the brittle man on a chair of wood near him. "How is the Cursed Cloak?" Ganon asked. The King ignored the elf's quip. Ganon stood before the King, "Now my King, you will tell me where the Triforce is hidden."

"I will never." Valtra spat with all his might.

"As you wish Sire." roared Ganon in a furious anger. The large elf sent his heavy, iron boot into the King's chest. The weakened King flew backwards and out of the chair and slammed into a group of rocks, slumping over in pain. Ganon reached up in preparation as if to throw a spear, and suddenly out of a black mist, a long, wicked javelin appeared. But before Ganon could act, an old woman waddled into the room.

"You summoned Sir." the elder woman said, carrying a sack upon her back which looked to hold a large sphere-like object.

"Ah yes, the Witch of the North." Ganon said gladly, "Shuria my dear how have you been?" he inquired, kissing the grotesquely looking woman upon the hand.

Shuria smiled a wicked, broken smile, "Lord Ganondorf it is hard not to be in a fine state when in one's presents."

Ganon clapped, and two bore-men waltzed in holding beautiful wooden seats. They set them by the elf and his guest and returned to the doorway. "Such a strange place to set up your fortress." the woman said examining the cave.

"The choice came to me as I surveyed the lands. I was in search of a place near the castle of Hyrule, but would be fortifiable and serve as a place to lodge my army." Ganon said, peering around the room.

"I sense powerful magic at work." the witch said with a pleasurable tone.

"This cave, this tree here, they are one of many wellsprings of magic formed by this planet. I was drawn to it during my travels. After examining the state of the caverns and with much planning, this was the spot I chose." said the elf. "I have the Muraak expanding the confines of the grotto. They, along with a band of Goron are building my fortress here as we speak." No sooner had the dark elf finished his sentence, did a Goron burst through the cave wall of the room. He held a giant gold rock, and before the witch and elf, with his bare hands, carved a large gold throne and placed it at the base of the tree near the pool's edge. The Goron returned to the tunnel it had created without a word.

"I foresee a grand estate in your future." cackled Shuria.

Ganon smirked prideful, "Did you bring what I asked for?" he inquired.

The witch placed the large sphere on the floor and unraveled the cloth from to reveal a large glass ball. Ganon's eyes grew wide with exhilaration. The glass sphere reflected in his large black eyes as he gazed upon it, his mind probing ideas of its use. The witch then clapped her hands together and then put them to the dirt. As she lifted her hands up and a pillar of rock seemed to pull up from the earth, creating a pedestal. She placed the orb upon the cradle at the top and looked to Ganon, "Your hands Sire." she said. Ganon did as commanded and gave her his hands. Shuria took a curved, wicked looking knife from her cloaks and ran the blade across the elf's hands. Ganon didn't move, nor show sign of pain as blood oozed from his palms. Then the old woman turned his hands and placed them upon the orb.

As Ganon slid his hands over the ball, the smeared blood seeped into the glass. Once the witch let go of Ganon's hands he pulled them back and found his wounds healed. The ball began to emanate a faint red glow and the witch said, "It is ready for your use Sire."

Ganon looked into the ball, "I wish to gape upon the Princess of Hyrule." he said. The young elf appeared in the orb, lying on the bank of a river. For a moment Ganon thought her to be dead, but then he noticed her small breaths. A sudden rage burned in his heart and as a result his arms caught ablaze. The swine's hadn't been anywhere in sight, they hadn't brought her back, and she hadn't been separated from this plain. They failed.

After a momentary fit, he finally calmed and the flames died down. "Donongo." he called piercingly through the cave, his voice echoing with a shrill. Suddenly from another much larger tunnel, stormed a large reptilian creature. The lizard looked dinosaur like, with a large horn that sat atop its nose. Its head, fanned out with razor sharp spike at the edge of the hood. Large horns ran across the reptiles back and down its tail. His front arms were massive, and his rear much smaller. The beast's skin seemed to fade from thick scales to a green stone where the skin would be most rough.

"You called Lord Ganon." the reptile growled with a low croak.

"King Donongo, Lord of the Old World. An ancient world buried in ruins beneath elven men such as our dear King Valtra here." Ganon said mockingly to the King. "I have a request for you." Ganon spoke.

"Speak your request, and see it done." Donongo roared.

"I wish for the Princess of Hyrule to be brought to me." Ganon bid. The behemoth croaked in compliance and quickly stomped back down the tunnel for which it came. Ganon paused momentarily to ponder, and then he made up his mind. "Madam Shuria I have one more wish for your time." Ganon spoke up.

"Yes my Lord." the witch replied.

"I will need an army, but not one of this world." he said, massaging his knuckles. "I will require you to travel to the Underworld and pass this note to Lord Yolkum. He will know what to do." the dark elf finished.

"As you wish Lord Ganondorf." the witch said, and in a cloud of dust she disappeared.

The large elf stood from his seat and walked over to the King. He knelt down beside the brittle man and said, "Soon my King, you will tell me where the Triforce is. There are more than physical means to make a man talk, and once I have your daughter you _will_ tell me the location." he snarled. Then Ganon lifted the King and carried him over to his holding cell, "Open." Ganon commanded, and the tree roots parted. He threw the King into his pit and commanded the roots to close forming the King's jail cell once more. Ganon strode into a small, dark room after, and out of the King's sight.

King Valtra lay in the dirt once more; his body ached from Ganon's assault. From the small room the King could faintly hear the dark elf's voice; he was speaking with someone. But the King couldn't make out what the conversation. Then, whoever Ganon was speaking to replied. It was like nothing the King had ever heard. The words resonated through his head like low musical chimes. Ganon's voice spoke again, and then the ringing in Valtra's head returned. He could hear with clarity words being spoken, as if the person speaking was right next to his ear. But the language was foreign to the King. Ganon said finished and exited the room and walked away. Before slipping into his nightmares, the King said a prayer for his daughter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter**

**5**

** "**Link… wake up Link!" called a voice from afar. Everything was black, everything felt empty; and yet there was still a sense of 'being'. "Link, you need to wake up now." the voice said again. Suddenly Nu appeared in the boy's sight. She looked upset, "Wake up boy." she said sternly. And as quick as the fairy's face appeared, she was gone and the young man was left in pitch black. Link felt a sudden jolt, and with it came a splash of blurred colors. _What the_… he thought. And just then Janelle's face came into view, "Link please wake up now." the elf said with a smile, her face glowing, "This is no time to play."

Suddenly all the color smeared away and a bright light blinded the young man. When his vision had returned, Link saw green… a lot of green. He squinted hard and noticed he was looking at tree tops. The sound of water could be heard close by. His head was throbbing, and he suddenly choked and coughed. He couldn't seem to catch his breath, and when he thought he would finally pass out, up came a huge amount of water. Link gasped and rolled to his stomach, "Oh thank the goddesses you're awake." came a female's voice. "Link you need to get up." the girl cried.

The last thing Link remembered was going over the waterfall. He and the girl were tossed around before he passed out. He couldn't believe he had survived such a feat. Link looked around and saw the girl standing in what looked like a fighting position with a stick in her hand. "Help boy!" she exclaimed. Link turned his gaze to what the girl was crying about. A large forest spider was trying to make her its lunch. Link immediately tried to rise to his feet, but found his left leg gave out. He examined his leg to find a large, bloody gash down his quad. It began burning fiercely after its attempted use. Link groaned in agony, but he had to fight through the pain to help the girl.

Link looked around for any of his weapons, but only found his bow with three arrows in the grass just a few feet away. The elf crawled to the bow; he could hear the girl's struggle as the spider had become more aggressive and was actively trying to beat her down with its long legs. Link grabbed a nearby arrow and set it on the string; he sat up and drew back and fired the arrow. The projectile sped through the air and struck the spider in the cephalothorax. The arachnid shuttered but continued its attack on the woman. Link saw another arrow a few more feet away. He crawled to the second arrow; this of course triggering more pain in his leg. He set the missile, and fired. This arrow stuck in one of the eight eyes. This time the foe turned its attention to Link. It began to charge him at an alarming pace, and the elf found himself without an arrow. He looked around but found nothing.

Just then he heard the girl call, "Link catch!" She threw an arrow at him so fast it nearly pierced his hand. Link, being skilled enough, caught the shaft and placed it on his bow. The spider leaped at its prey, and Link let the arrow go as he brought the bow up. Through the spider's mouth the projectile went, killing the bug instantly and sending its large, hairy body toppling over the boy and into the river.

Link lay in the soft grass for a moment in complete shock. He breathed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. He somehow survived a tumble down the falls, and now a giant spider. The girl came over to his side, "Took you long enough." she said.

Link frowned, "I'm sorry," he said sarcastically, "I forgot the part where I attempted to save you from those pig things, only to for you to drag me over the side of a waterfall and end up in some random place." Link grunted as he sat himself against a rock. He removed his cloak.

The girl looked annoyed with his cynicism, but knelt down to examine the boy's wound. "What happened?" she asked, expecting another snarky remark. Link didn't reply out of frustration for the girl's lack of appreciation. "Oh, you will be like that then." she said standing. "I'll go find some herbs to help it along." she said shortly, and walked away into the forest.

"Good," Link scowled, "Go get yourself lost in the woods." He ripped his cape into long strips and separated them into two sets. He wet two and used them to clean the blood around his leg. It stung, the cool, wet cloth, but he knew he must wash the lesion or run the risk of infection. Minutes later the girl returned with a handful of roots and weeds. She found two flat rocks and began to mash the veggies into a paste. Link didn't bother to look at her, and instead continued cleaning himself.

"My name is Zelda." the girl finally said, breaking the awkward silence. Link stopped scrubbing, and sighed.

Something in the far reaches of his brain rang at the name, but he couldn't think of what that was. He looked at the girl, "Zelda… that sounds strangely familiar. But pleased to make your acquaintance." he said reaching out his hand for hers. Zelda continued mashing the roots. Link withdrew his hand and shrugged. Then Zelda scooted nearer to the Link's leg and applied the mash to a large leaf, and placed it on the injured leg.

Link cringed as his wound tingled and then cooled. "Don't be such a baby." said Zelda. She grabbed the last two strips of cloth and wrapped the wound. "There," she said, "I'll go gather materials for camp. I suppose we'll stay here the night and in the morning, permitting your leg is better, we can head out in search of a way home."

Link was a bit surprised at the girl's claim to being resourceful. He sat at his rock and watched as his partner walked off into the forest once more. Zelda was indeed very resourceful. She had been out on many adventures, hunting parties and explorations with her father. She had the lands largest library at her disposal and soaked up knowledge from every book like a sponge. She was well versed in survival tactics, and Zelda put her skills to use. She gathered long, naked branches, large fan-like branches with many fern needles and leaves. She managed to find some long vines from Dayglow bushes on the floor.

Zelda returned from her scavenging trip with the necessary utensils to build a shelter. She set up a small hut with three walls and a roof. Then she designed a small fire pit and started a fire. Link was flabbergasted at her strong independence. With her help, Link hobbled into the shelter and rested. Then night came, and the two found separate corners of the shelter and went to sleep.

The next morning Link woke to the sounds of chirps and squeaks from outside the hut. A familiar woman's voice spoke softly, too soft to make out, and more animal sounds replied. He lifted himself from the grassy floor and stepped out from the shelter. Outside was Zelda, surrounded by numerous woodland creatures. One of the smaller animals noticed Link and chirped, and then without hesitation, all the critters scooted away and Zelda stood up straight.

"What do you think you are doing?" she asked in upset fashion.

This was not the way Link wished to start his morning, "I did not know it was a crime to wake in the morning." he replied.

"You did not simply wake, you were eavesdropping." said Zelda, kicking dirt over the last of the burning embers.

Link grew annoyed with Zelda's charge. He huffed and ignored her rants. Instead, he decided to focus on the condition of his leg, which was feeling remarkably better. He walked about in circles, ensuring not to put too much pressure upon his leg until he felt comfortable it could handle it. It was still a tad sore.

Zelda noticed Link was paying her no attention, "I would leave the bandage on a day longer." she advised.

"Thanks your 'Highness', I will." replied Link.

"Don't call me that." the girl shouted.

Link looked shocked by her sudden outburst. He shook off the remark and gathered his things; namely his bow and the three arrows he removed from the arachnid. "What was that with all your pets?" he asked.

Zelda didn't reply. Deep down she was afraid to let anybody know who she was. She had lived in the castle her whole life, only interacting with the people of the surrounding city. Zelda felt hesitant to trust anyone outside the Kingdom. She must be careful to not use magic around this young man. It would be obvious who she really was if he hadn't already known. There were few elves besides the royal bloodline that could use magic, unassisted by enchantments. It was a rare, natural occurrence. Luckily, Link dropped the topic and the two began walking along the water's edge.

"Where do you come from my fair lady?" inquired Link.

"I'd rather not talk about me." Zelda replied.

"The mysterious type," Link said playfully, "Wish I was more intrigued."

Zelda glared at her counterpart, "What about you boy, where do you hail from?" she asked. But before Link could answer she spoke again, "From the looks of it, you can't be from the city, or any of the other inner towns."

Link looked a bit offended, which was Zelda's intent. "I come from the village of Kukoorea." he said with as much pride as he could muster.

"Never heard of it." she lied.

Link returned the glare before bumping into the pile of large rocks, which he then had to climb over. "I'd say, by the looks of your garb under your peasant's cloak, you are of nobility." he said, helping her down from a boulder.

"I could be." she replied. The two stopped in front of a tree with low lying branches. "What did we stop for?" Zelda asked curiously. Link grabbed a branch and attempted to break it in the middle. "What are you doing boy?" she inquired.

"Please stop calling me that." he huffed as he worked to break the branch at its base.

"Tell me what you are doing." Zelda demanded.

Link finally broke the branch from the tree, and held it in front of his body, "Braking tree branches, what does it look like?" he replied cheerfully. The girl did not fancy his response, but knew he would not give her a serious answer for the moment. She watched as Link shaved the brush away from the limb, making the wood bare all the way across. Link scavenged the rock piles nearby and moments later had himself two stones; one sharp, the other flat. He sat on a fallen log and began chipping away at the sharp stone. Zelda had figured out what he was up too and decided she'd look for food nearby.

Upon returning to Link, Zelda had found a variety of nuts and berries which the two snacked on. Link was finishing up wrapping his spear with thin vines for added grip and durability. "Alright," he said standing, "Let's keep following the river, eventually we will run into a town."

Zelda knew there was no village for a great distance along the river after speaking with the animals. They had informed her that these woods were cursed, ran by an evil necromancer, and that the villages were under his rule out of fear. They would not receive help anywhere nearby. "Let us try moving outward, away from this forest." she said.

"But why, I am a forest elf, I know _my_ woods." argued Link.

"Because I do not believe we shall find anything here, call it a gut instinct or woman's intuition if you will." Zelda snapped back.

"Oh yes, I forgot," Link started, "all nobles are greatly versed in survivability in forests and what not. Forgive me your grace, I am but a simple elf." his voice had great sarcasm in its tone.

"Fine," she yelled, "let's do whatever _you_ like boy." She stomped ahead, along the river's path. Link chuckled to himself in victory, and followed. It didn't take long for the two to reach an impassible wall of rock. It looked as if it were manmade. Steep cliffs made from boulders, surrounded the water's edge; this forced the two elves to deviate from the river path and head deeper into the woods. The day was already half finished when Link and Zelda noticed off in the distance, sitting upon a cliff's edge, a tall fortress. A long, decayed bridge extended outward from the front and crossed a deep valley to another hillside. The fort stood atop the mountain, its silhouette dark in the lowering sun.

"I wonder who that belongs to?" muttered Link.

"I do not wish to find out." Zelda answered. By the looks of the place, Link guessed it probably wouldn't be of any help. The two continued through the forest, and not far from the fort they noticed that plant life and vegetation had drastically changed. Instead of thick, luscious trees, there stood tall, bare trees that looked almost elfish in figure. The brush had thinned out significantly, and what shrubs there were, were all withered of twisted and gnarled, with thorns and razor leaves. What little foliage there was, had turned a greyish-lavender color; from the leaves to the sparse grass. Then, Link noticed that as the sun drew further down, the presents of a strange mist grew thicker as it set across the forest floor. Zelda had also noticed all the forest creatures were nonexistent.

"This forest has a curse upon its lands. I do not like what this wood has shaped up to." Zelda said, examining their surroundings.

"I would have to agree with you, for once." said Link, stepping over a protruding root.

Zelda wondered how far civilization might be from their location, when a sudden fret set in. What if there was no village around them? She quickly caught up to Link, "Maybe we should break for camp for the night." she offered.

"I'm not staying the night in this place." replied Link. "You may if you fancy."

"So what are we to do then? Continue searching for a town that may not exist?" Zelda exclaimed.

"That is the plan ma'am." he answered, continuing forward.

"But what if we never find it?" she insisted.

"Look Ze…" Link started in, before pausing. He cocked his head around and listened.

Zelda, now spooked, inquired in a whisper, "What is it?" Link didn't respond, instead turned his back and gazed into the darkening forest. Zelda grew more worried, "Boy, err, Link. What is it?" she whispered louder. Link began to creep forward, motioning her to stay silent. "Link, this is not funny, what is out there?" she whimpered.

Link turned to her with a grin, "Nothing, I was just listening to peace and quiet." he said. "I almost forgot what that was like."

"That's not funny." screamed Zelda. She couldn't believe the nerve of this boy. "Who do you think you are?" she scolded stepping directly in his face, and staring him eye to eye.

"Calm down Zelda, you know you nobles are too uptight." chuckled Link.

"I hate you." Zelda pouted.

"Really, and see this whole time I thought we were becoming friends. Adventuring, battling the forest creatures…" Link stopped short of his mocking, it was clear Zelda wasn't paying him any attention. She had let her jaw drop and her eyes widen. "I am not falling for your tricks. You want me to believe there is something behind me." Link said with a cocky laugh.

Zelda grabbed Link's hands and squeezed them tight. "Shhh." she hissed. Link frowned; she wasn't going to trick him, but playing the same prank was simply tasteless. Zelda's eyes darted back and forth behind Link's back, which made him wonder now if she was looking at something. He slowly turned, and held in a gasp. In the distant woods raised tall, black ghostly figures from the mist. The specters where tall and had very elf –like features. The two stood silent as their new company wondered aimlessly around, not noticing the two guests. Zelda could only speculate that this was the creation of this "alleged" necromancer's black magic.

"I do not believe they have noticed us." whispered Link to Zelda, who nodded in agreement. "We need to find shelter soon." he said. Link held Zelda's hand and led her through the woods. The two hid behind the naked trees, ducked in shallow ravines of weeds and stone, and used the shadows to escape and evade the prowling beings.

After a sometime of careful stalking, Link was beginning to worry they might never find a safe haven to rest. He was becoming fatigued, as they had been marching all day and well into the late night. His leg ached and he yearned for rest; to let his stiff muscles relax and fall into a slumber. Link was fairly confident Zelda felt the same way. The pair hopped behind a thick tree trunk and waited for a herd of dark ghouls to pass. Once clear, Link noticed a ruined house a hundred feet away. He led his partner to the rundown structure that looked to once be a house. The two passed through the living area and into the kitchen where they found the exit to the back porch blocked by rubble and thorn bushes. It looked like the prior residence had tried to barricade themselves inside to keep safe from something outside, most likely these strange ghosts. Link decided to go back to the living area but stopped short in the kitchen doorway to find a group of the phantoms had wondered into the ruined house.

"What is it?" Zelda whispered. Link covered her mouth and pressed her against the kitchen wall behind him. He looked around for an escape route, and was relieved to find a staircase along the adjacent kitchen wall leading to the second floor. Link led them along the wall and up the stairs; just as they were making their way up Zelda caught glimpse of the being entering the kitchen. The two crept to the second floor and into the hallway, the floor boards creaked when pressure was applied, prompting the elves hearts to skip. Link looked down the hall and saw two doors on the left side. There was an open room directly ahead of him, though he figured it would be safer to move further away from the stairway.

The two elves tiptoed down the hall and to the last door; it was locked. Link tried the other door; it was open. He let Zelda in the room and quietly closed the door behind them, but before letting it latch he peered out into the hallway to make sure they hadn't been followed. But to his despair they had. A specter glided up the stairs and meandered about. Link latched the door closed and walked to the far side of the room. There, he peered out the dusty window to the forest below. He was running out of ideas. It seemed though they had crept quietly about, these apparitions still somehow found them. They couldn't stay holed up in this room for the rest of the night. Link wondered if their chances might be better running. He felt around the window, examining to see if it was able to be opened, which he found it could in fact. Link propped the window up and looked out into the night. It was the same thing he had seen crossing the woods, a strange fog and even stranger creatures.

Link then noticed a porch cover that ran alongside the side of the house just under the window. This roof would lend aid to the elves escape from this house, but Link would need to plan where to go from there. Suddenly he heard a haunting groan from outside their door. He had no time to think; he grabbed Zelda and pulled her out and onto the roof. "We need to jump down and run." he informed.

"Are you crazy?" she whispered back, "You're leg will never allow that."

"We've got to try, it is pointless to hide as they seem to be drawn to us somehow." replied Link. The door's handle jiggled as it turned to open. Link pulled Zelda away from the window; the two could hear multiple phantoms enter the room. Link pointed to the forest floor below, Zelda shook her head in defiance.

"There has to be another way." she mouthed silently to him.

"There is no…" began Link, but was quickly stifled as a smoky, black, pointed head poked out the window. Link fell silent and watched; his stomach in knots. The being was looking away from them, it was now or never. Link grabbed Zelda's hand, but she quickly jerked it back, slamming her elbow into the side of the house. Link glared at the girl in total frustration. The specter's head turned and is fiery red eyes gazed the two elves. The ghost let out a deafening screech, one that echoed through the forest. The elves covered their pointed ears in attempt to buffer from the shrill sound.

The specter stopped its shriek and exited the window, climbing out onto the roof. From the window to the elves back, appeared another specter as it climbed out and onto the rooftop. "This is your fault." Link shouted at Zelda. The closing phantoms opened their mouths wide reveling rows of jagged, crooked fangs. With its mouth gaped open the air around was being sucked into the dark pit like a vacuum.

Link grabbed his spear and readied do defend himself. "My fault?" Zelda yelled back. "How is this my fault? You're the one wanting to jump off rooftops!" she exclaimed angrily.

"What would you have us do? Have a conversation with them like the animals?" Link said back in frustration. "Oh that's a real good plan Zelda." he jeered. The specter was too close for comfort and Link thrust his spear into its chest. The elf retracted the spear and where it pierced was a small hole. Black vapors poured out of the creature's wound and it let out another shriek. The man kicked the monster and the ghost moved back. He turned to see three more of the ghosts behind him. Link pushed Zelda over the edge of the roof and followed shortly behind. The two landed hard on the dirt floor below, though, it was a rougher landing for Link. He hobbled up, only to receive a slap to his face.

"Don't you ever push me again Link!" Zelda yelled. Link had noticed that the specter's cry had attracted more of its kind to their location. He shook off Zelda's strike and limped away from the house in a hurry. Zelda followed, continuing her nagging, ensuring Link knew how upset she was with him. The ghouls came from every direction, and Link knew if he didn't keep moving they would surround him. By now, Link didn't care if he left the girl to her own means. She had annoyed him with her arrogance and unappreciative manners. She obviously didn't want his help. Link had made up his mind; once they make it to a town, the two would split.

Link and Zelda tumbled down a ravine and into a shallow river. The two climbed through the cold water and up the other side and out of the mist. And that's when he saw it, a fence, and behind that fence a town. Link's heart raced with exhilaration, _safety_, he thought. He picked up his pace and tottered to the fence line. Zelda kept pace but remained behind the man. The elves reached the fence and climbed over and into the town's outer limits. To their left and right were tall houses, which looked to be made of thick, sturdy wood. The rooftops sloped into steeples that held the family crest of its occupants at the top.

Link slowed his pace and walked up to the first house to his left. He attempted to peer in the window, but found it was boarded up from the inside. He moved to the door and rapped on its body. There was no answer, and Link grew impatient as he looked out into the woods and saw that the phantoms had begun to appear inside the town. They drew closer to the elves. Link knocked harder and this time called out, "Is anyone here? Please let us in." he begged.

There was no answer and by now a trio of specters had floated their thin bodies up and onto the house's porch. Link hopped over the rail and to the ground below. He shuffled to the neighboring house, Zelda close behind. Link leaned on his spear, exhausted, sore, and unable to move very fast. Zelda knocked on the door, "Please, if you are home let us in. My friend is wounded." she cried out. Nothing.

"Just go, I'll hold them off as best I can." said Link. He lowered his spear and pierced the head of an approaching ghoul. With another earsplitting screech it collapsed into the mist and disappeared. Zelda watched in horror, she couldn't leave him alone, yet her life meant more than his. She struggled with this internal battle until she heard a bird call from overhead. She looked up and saw a raven fly to the rooftop of the house across the road. The bird then gestured to the chimney and Zelda knew what she had to do.

She grabbed Link and pointed to the house across the way, "Let's go." she ordered.

Link was confused, and before he could follow the girl a specter had materialized in front of him. He didn't see it in time and the ghoul reached back then plunged its long, sharp fingers into the elf's stomach. Link let out a loud cry of pain and fell to his knees. Zelda stopped in her tracks and turned to see the young man slouch over, holding his abdomen. She knew she wasn't going to be able to hide her magic any longer; if she did they wouldn't make it until morning. The Princess sent bright crescent light beams at the specters. The magic tore the dark creatures apart, and seemed to startle the others around. The creatures seemed more hesitant to attack. A nearby phantom sank into the mist; Zelda knew what it was going to do. She quickly reacted and stomped her foot on the ground creating a large blast of wind which brushed the mist away from her and Link; who was now unconscious.

Zelda knew she had to keep the monsters at bay in order to attend Link. She remembered a spell taught to her by Juno. It was a protective seal she would have to create. She summoned another burst of wind so as to set the mist further away, and then she began to draw the seal's symbol on the ground around them. Once finished she picked up a handful of the earth and chanted, "Protect us oh heavenly light, shield us from danger." and with that she tossed the dirt into the air. Immediately the dirt dissipated and formed a dome of light around the two elves within the seal. Zelda had never practiced that spell and did not know how long it would last against this powerful dark magic.

She quickly knelt at Link's side and pulled his torn tunic aside, revealing the wounds. Blood oozed out slowly and seemed to turn black as it ran further away from the elf. She wasn't' sure, but she guessed this was the work of a curse put on through the specters. She applied pressure to his wounds and chanted, "Light, heal the wounds of our warrior, send him not into the shadows, but keep him in the light of this world." White light burst forth from the holes in Link's stomach, before fading as they sealed up. She did the same with the elf's leg. But now they had run out of time, for the ghouls had broken through her barrier. She sent more light beams, but there were too much. The use of magic was exhausting the Princess.

And then a man's voice called out to her, "Girl, this way, quickly!" The man's head was peeking out from a door to the house she was trying to reach. She grabbed Link and dragged him to the man's porch where he quickly helped her pull the unconscious boy indoors. Once inside the man quickly shut his door and locked it with the combination of six different locks. He quickly pulled out a contraption from under his stairway. The appliance looked like a pump attached to a glass case, or lantern. The man aimed the tip of the pump at a small cloud of mist that had seeped in and pulled on the handle. The vapor was sucked into the pump and contained in the glass jar. The man grabbed a small match and slipped it into a small opening in the glass. The contents quickly lit ablaze in a purple and green lightshow before dying out and leaving the jar empty.

"What was that?" asked Zelda.

"That, my dear, was what we like to call Koka's fog." the man answered.

"What about those _things_?" she inquired.

"Those ghouls you saw out there, we call them Night Walkers. Those are pets of Koka the necromancer." the man replied.

Zelda realized she had been without manners, "Forgive me Sir, without your aid we would have surely died out there. And for that you have my thanks." she said.

"Well I would not advise thanking me." the man replied.

"Why did you help us then?" she asked.

The man sighed and looked away, "I wasn't going to," he began, "at first anyway."

Zelda frowned, "What changed your mind?" she inquired.

"My son, he looks up to his father. Told me this world needs hero's like friend." the man said pointing to Link. "My boy's young, naïve, but he has a pure heart and a strong sense of righteousness."

"I thank you for your hospitality and your boy's upbringing." Zelda said.

The man chuckled, "It doesn't matter now anyways. Koka sees all in these wood, he probably already knows I aided you both. By tomorrow my family will be in their graves, or worse… _turned_."

The man was spooked, and this gave Zelda a dreadful feeling, mixed with guilt. "You know what that means right?" Link said, startling the other two to his presents of mind.

Zelda kneeled to Link and embraced him in her arms, "Are you okay? How do you feel?" she inquired.

Link pushed the girl away and lifted himself to his feet from the table nearby, "I'm fine thanks. I don't seem to recall what happened." he said. Link turned to the man, "Sir, I am truly sorry that our presents have brought misfortune to your family." he said shaking the man's hand. "After seeing what goes on here, I wish to help. Being from the forest, I couldn't stand to see it turned to a nightmare like this."

The man gave a small smile of compassion, "Thank you young man, but I don't believe there is anything you can do to help." he said.

Link nodded, "Sir what is your name?" he asked.

"I am Eric." the man replied.

Links face grew stern and he said, "Eric, as long as I draw breathe, and my hand holds weapon, I will fight to free your village as well as the forest from this black magic."

Eric felt an over whelming sense of hope, something he had forgot as the years passed under the necromancer's rule. A tear slid down his cheek. He whipped it and said, "Sorry, it's been so long since this part of the world has seen a selfless heart such as yours son."

Zelda agreed with repaying the man for his help, but she could not risk battle with a necromancer. "I apologize but I cannot go." she blurted unexpectedly.

The men looked at her in bewilderment, and then Link replied, "I figured as much, and it's okay. That just means I will not have to rescue you again."

Zelda scowled at him, "How could you say that?" she said with reproach. "Did you not get from the conversation that I was the one to rescue you?"

"I got it, but I wouldn't be in this predicament if I hadn't saved you from those pig-men, or if you had just jumped from the roof in the first place." Link argued back.

Zelda's face was bright red with anger towards the boy, "Where can I retreat to?" she asked Eric who looked shocked by the inquiry.

"Uh, my wife and son stay upstairs in the master bedroom." he replied. Zelda snorted at Link and curtsied to Eric before disappearing up stairs.

Link waited until she was out of sight before asking, "Now Sir, tell me what I must do to defeat Koka."

"Well for starters, you will need a better weapon than that wood spear." Eric said. "I am a blacksmith by trade, I can give you your basic iron weapon and leather shield, as well as some simple leather armor."

"You have my thanks Eric, I only hope I can repay you in success of my mission." Link said.

"Well my boy, it will take a lot more than a sturdy sword to defeat Koka." Eric replied. The man escorted Link into his workshop a few rooms down the hall. There, swords of all shapes and sizes hung on racks upon the walls. Eric handed the boy a thick leather vest, "Try this."

Link removed his tunic and placed the vest over his body. Eric helped tie it snug to the boy's body. Link then put his tunic overtop the leather. Eric handed him hardened leather gloves and a pair of hardened leather grieves. "Please pick which weapon best suits you." Eric said.

Link toured the room and found himself standing in front of a rack of iron short swords. He picked one up and moved it about, gaging its weight and length. "This will do." he said.

Eric then handed Link a small leather kite shield. "I notice you have a bow, I'm sorry I do not have any arrows at this time." the man apologized.

"Sir you've done more than enough." Link said.

"There is one more thing you will need in order to confront Koka." Eric said.

"What is that?" inquired Link.

"I'm sure you saw the fortress on the rock on your journey here. The bridge to the fort has been destroyed in our attempt to keep the necromancer away. You will need a tool to get across the broken crossway to the fortress." the man said. "It does not get easier there. There was a man who escaped from the fort, he told of a castle in the sky, unseen to the naked eye, hidden by magic. That is where Koka resides. I tell you this because you will require a grappling hook to reach the fort as well as the sky castle."

"Are you unable to smith one Sir?" asked Link.

"Alas, I know not the mechanics behind the tool. I could create the hook and chain, but the actual device I haven't the knowledge of its workings." Eric replied. Link sighed, it was apparent he became frustrated at the new information. "That same man who escaped passed away some time ago left on his persons a grappling hook. His grave is at the cemetery to the north, upon Hollow Hill. It has laid underground for a decade and will probably need minor repairs. Bring it to me and I will repair what I can." Eric informed Link.

Link nodded, "I'll bring it back before morning."

"You must hurry, I fear Koka will be hear before the next night." the man said frightful.

Just then a small boy walked into the room, he had been listening in to his father's conversation with the stranger. He removed a long, green pointed cap from his head and handed it to Link. "This is my lucky cap," the boy said, "please Sir, it will bring you luck." the boy said.

"Jasper don't be silly." Eric said picking his boy up.

Link took the hat and placed it upon his head, and to his surprise, it fit perfectly. "Thank you Jasper, I will be sure to bring it back to you." he said to the boy. Link followed Eric to the front door, and before he let him out he cautioned, "Follow the road out of the village and north to the hill, but beware, the necromancer's magic will play with your mind."

"I'll be careful." Link replied. "Again, thank you for your help. I will return shortly and then I will slay Koka." he said confidently. Eric nodded and let the young man out.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter**

**6**

Link stepped out onto the porch of the house; sword and shield in hand, and armor over body, he felt ready and more confident to take on the strange monsters of the night. The cursed haze lingered over the floor permitting the Night Walkers to appear wherever they like. No sooner had Link walked down to the dirt did two Walkers nearby sense the elf's presents. They glided towards Link, who raised his shield and gripped his sword tightly. The young man advanced on the two Walkers, and upon closing the gap between himself the nearest, slammed his shield into its body. The ghoul floated back and away from the elf, giving Link enough time to thrust his blade into the second Walker as it approached. The ghoul began to shriek but was hastily cut short when the elf ran his blade through its neck. Link half expected to see the same spray of black vapor he had seen from these creatures before. Instead, upon dying the Night Walker evaporated into the night sky.

Once again the first Walker approached Link, this time it seemed to float a bit more cautiously; its smoky red eyes fixated on the elf. Link brought his shield to the ready. He was planning his next attack. Over and over it played in his head until the Walker drew close enough. Link sprung forward and swiped low at the legs of the phantom. Instead of toppling over like any other being with its legs hacked off would, the specter shrank as if Link had chopped its legs in half. Link hadn't expected this mishap; rather he was prepared to put the specter on the ground and finish it with a pounce. The Night Walker instead continued its advance on the young man. Link rolled out of the way as the foe swiped at him. He knew full well the damage that its long claws could inflict. The elf screened himself behind his shield as the Walker's claws ran across the hard leather. He quickly sprung forward and slashed at the specter's chest. The ghoul disappeared in a puff of mist.

Once the yard was cleared of Night Walkers, Zelda appeared before Link; a small, curved blade in her hands. "What are you doing out here?" Link inquired.

"Why is it not apparent?" Zelda replied, "I am coming with you."

"No you are not." said Link sternly, "It is too dangerous for a girl to be out."

Zelda's face did not shift; instead she remained calm and replied, "I can handle myself Link. I did rescue you from these Walkers once already." she retorted. Link didn't like the idea of her tagging along. But before he could further protest Zelda interjected, "I know you probably feel like you will have to babysit me. I assure you that will not be the case here. Just focus on yourself and I will do the same for me. We just need to help rid this forest of its blight."

Link kept silent for a moment more, reaching for any thought or idea of protest, but could find none. He exhaled a sigh of submission, "Fine, but I hope you are more apt to fight these creatures than you are to escaping off rooftops." he said.

"I deserve that," replied Zelda, "and I will fight."

"Alright," Link said, "Let's move up the hill. We need to recover this grappling hook and be back to Eric before the necromancer finds out." With that the two scurried off the lawn and up the road. Through the center of the town the two became aware that they would be unable to progress any further as the streets had become overrun with groups of Night Walkers. Link and Zelda quickly ducked between houses and moved to the outskirts of the settlement. The trees provided decent cover for the two to slip by the ghouls undetected. Link made sure to keep along the edge of the road so as not to become led astray.

After ducking the village's herd of Walkers and traveling up the road a ways, Link felt it was safe to move on the open path. He was about to step out from the tree line when Zelda pulled him back behind a tree. He looked at her in befuddlement, and she pointed to the clear night sky. His eyes scrolled upward and caught a glimpse of strange figures floating overhead. They were floating eyeballs. He wondered why he hadn't noticed these before. He as well as Zelda both guessed that the necromancer must be keen to their presents in his woods. At closer inspection, Link found that the floating eyes had long tentacles that looked rather like hair, swaying in the air as the main body darted back and forth.

The gross sight gave a shiver down his back; those creatures creped him out. He waited until it was clear, and then moved into the open. It was much easier maneuvering along the road rather than the forest floor. The two made it up a hill and to a small veranda of rock where they found themselves in front of a small shack sitting at a bend in the road. It looked abandoned, save for a single lit candle hanging over the door. The youthful elves proceeded with caution to the hut. The door was left slightly ajar; Link drew his sword and poked the door sounding a loud groan in the wood as it opened. Inside it was pitch black, even the small window on the far wall seemed useless at providing illumination in the shack.

"Hello? Is anyone in here?" Link inquired softly. There was no reply. "Does anyone occupy this hut?" he asked, and again no answer. Link reached up and removed the candle from its holder and entered the small room. Inside it was just as Link would have imagined this abandoned shack to be; dust sat across all the surfaces, weeds grew through the cracks in the floorboards, a stale smell lingered in the air. In one corner of the room the two noticed a thin cot, and next to it a small table. On the table, a letter had been left next to a vase with a wilted flower. Zelda walked over and picked the parchment up and blew the dust away.

"It looks as if it was written many weeks ago." Zelda said.

Link leaned glanced at the doorway and into the night sky, "Well, are you going to read it?" he asked.

"_To my dearest Mona, the nights here have grown colder and more feral in these past weeks. I have tried to keep the roads lit, but something continues to bring darkness to my path. I have investigated the torches and have come up with nothing, though I fear it is the work of something sinister. In fact, a few nights ago I found a stand of hair sitting atop an unlit torch. This isn't the prank of a child. One more thing I would mention, there has been a strange commotion at the cemetery every night since I took this job. I will admit I have not yet investigated the source as I am fearful. But tonight… tonight I must see what is making the earth rumble, from where the chanting is, and what this strange green light upon the hill is. I am no warrior Mona, and for that, if I pass please know that I love you with all my heart and that I wish you and your boy Dan the best._

_ Love, Page Mason_"

Zelda looked up at Link, "That is all." she said.

Link was busy pondering something that the letter had said. Why would something go out of its way to put out the lights along the roads that surround the town? "It doesn't make sense…" he muttered.

"What may I ask makes no sense?" Zelda asked.

"Why would someone go out of their way to keep the streets dark?" he asked. "I remember there were no torches or candles lit in the village." he muttered again.

"And…" said Zelda, still wondering what point the elf was trying to get at.

Link thought hard but did not think his answer constituted much importance, "And nothing, forget it." he finished.

"Fine." replied Zelda. "Let us continue to the cemetery to retrieve the hook and see what happened to Mister Mason."

Zelda placed the parchment in her purse and took the candle from Link. The young man gave the hut one more look, then the two exited the post. They walked around the bend and up a tall flight of stone steps that led to a plateau. A large, iron fence stood in front of the two elves that wrapped around the edge of the hillside.

"It looks to be locked." Link said, examining the large bolt on the gate. Zelda approached the lock and peered at it for a moment. Then she handed Link back the candle and pulled a metal pin from her hair, "Hold the light close to the lock please Link." she instructed. Link did so and watched the young lady toy with the mechanics of the bolt.

Link was impressed yet again by Zelda's cunning; it almost made him feel inferior to her. No, he wasn't. He was a man, he was stronger, faster, and he liked to think smarter. She just had numerous tricks up her sleeve.

"Almost finished." Zelda muttered, her eyes focused and her tongue poking between her lips in concentration.

Just then Link felt a gentle brush upon the back of his neck, and the small flame on the candle flickered. Link dropped the candle and drew his sword, spinning on his heel. His heart pounded furiously in his chest, "What was that?" he exclaimed. But there was nothing in the darkness.

"Link what are you doing?" inquired Zelda, "I need that candle light."

Link looked down at the small wax stick; its flame was almost extinguished. He quickly picked up the small taper. He covered the flame with his hand and gave a soft blow to give life to the fire. Once more he held the light to the lock. He couldn't help but feel as if something was watching them. This time Link's head was on a swivel, he watched the stairs and surrounding grass. Mushrooms along the tree line illuminated with a dull blue glow; he noticed a shadow pass behind the toadstools along the woods. Link blinked; maybe his eyes had played a prank on him.

"Can you hurry please?" he whispered.

Zelda ignored Link's words, and a second later there came a _CLICK_. "Got it." she said proudly. She pushed the gate doors open; the metal creaked and groaned as it slid ajar, prompting Link to jump. "Settle down Link, I am here to keep you safe." Zelda teased.

"Pfft." Link snorted, "I do not require your help." The elves crept beyond the gate and found the road turned to a spotty trail running up another hill. Thick bramble bushes lined the path, which surprised Link as the rest of the woods had sparse vegetation. Potholes filled with small pools dotted the track as well. Link and Zelda carefully tread the path making sure to avoid the invasive thorns.

As the two drew closer to the cemetery they could see a green light cast upon the backdrop of stone walls and trees. "Do you hear that?" Zelda inquired. The elves held their breath and listened; a faint chant could barely be heard. "Put that candle out." Zelda whispered to Link.

"I do not think that's a good idea." he replied. "I mean the letter…"

"Do you wish to be discovered!" Zelda exclaimed. And with that she blew out the flame.

"Blasted woman! The gods show me no mercy." Link exclaimed in a quiet voice; frustration coursed through his body. "You'll be the death of me." he accused angrily. But Zelda paid his griping no heed. She sneaked behind the cover of the bushes all the way up the hill until she came to the top. Link followed, ever vigilant of their surroundings. He was not taking any chance of being taken from behind by a Walker. Zelda came to a halt behind a mausoleum; the hilltop flattened out, revealing the expansive cemetery. "How are we going to find the man's grave? I did not think to ask his name." Link murmured to himself.

"It is okay Link, I asked Eric the man's name before I departed the house." said Zelda. A great feeling of relief washed over Link, but was quickly stamped out when Zelda added, "What would you have done without me? Probably die that is what."

Link did not appreciate her smugness, but couldn't find anything to retort with. Instead, he let the girl's comment go and peered around the wall of the tomb. Standing next to a large boiling pot that sat next to a tall statue gravestone, was a hairy bird-like creature under black rags. In its hands was a long wooden stick used to stir the contents in the pot. The contents emitted a bright green glow and poured heavy amounts of smoke that fell to the cemetery's floor.

"Looks like a witch." Link whispered.

"This cannot be good," said Zelda, "a witch working in cohorts with the necromancer. I was unaware that black magic had spread this vast on Hyrule."

"Where do you come from that you are so sheltered?" Link inquired in a way that was meant to sound derogatory. Just then Link heard something brush the branches above their heads and looked up. He quickly covered Zelda's mouth as she gasped at a floating eyeball that drifted above their position, its hair grazing a nearby tree's branches. Once past Link turned to the Zelda, "I have an idea." he said.

"Oh good, let us hear it then." she replied.

"I believe that witch is conjuring the flying eyeballs that invade this graveyard. Its magic probably has a stake in this immediate area, if we try to remove the grapple hook that witch will destroy us." said Link. "We need to be the one who strikes first. You know the name on the tombstone, so I will create a diversion while you search the gravestones for the grappling hook."

Zelda did not like the sound of the plan, it seemed novice. She would have offered argument to Link's idea, had a passing eye not stopped above them, shining a bright red beam of light upon them. "What is this?" she gasped.

Link reacted quickly, pushing Zelda aside as the eyeball lunged at her position. She stumbled aside and caught watched as Link was smothered by its hairy tentacles. "No Link!" she yelped. Link covered his body with his shield and thrust his blade tightly around the shield's edge. There was a pop, and then slime squirted over the elf's arm. The eyeball sputtered away before dropping behind a bush.

Link looked at Zelda, "Good luck." and with that he jumped around the structure and out of Zelda's sight. She waited a moment, in shock, listening for Link. Then came a loud crack and a flash of light, followed by a loud cry. Zelda moved to the other side of the stone wall and looked out at the scene. Link ran between gravestones towards the witch, who staggered backwards; a long wooden spear protruding from its hunched back. The creature summoned the boiling water from the pot to envelope itself. The javelin slowly removed itself from the witch and fell to the floor.

Zelda felt this was her moment. She darted across the graveyard and slid behind a tombstone just in time to avoid a thin disk of hot water shot at her. The woman could hear the hissing of the liquid as it melted away at the stone. Zelda figured the witch was on to her. She peeked around the cover and found Link had engaged the witch once again. She scanned the tombstone over; wrong grave. Zelda got to her feet and sprinted to the next grave.

Meanwhile, Link had witnessed the witch remove his spear and heal its wound with the liquid. He guessed he'd have to do more, gruesome damage to the witch that would make it irreversible. No sooner had he seen the witches magic water, did he catch Zelda dash from cover from the corner of his eye. The witch, through its magic, could see through the eyes of the young elf, and watched the girl cross the graveyard as well. It shot out its hand summoning the water cloaking its body to jet out in small disks towards the fleeing elf. The witch had just barely missed its target.

Link swallowed the lump in his throat; that was close, too close. He could not let that happen again. He rushed towards the witch and rolled just out of the way of an oncoming eye. He let the momentum carry him back into a run and when he was within reach, Link leapt into the air and reached his sword back for a hard thrust.

The witch saw the attack coming through the elf's eyes and quickly spun to face him. It reached out its hand and sent a large cube of water at the boy. Link collided with the cube, the force of which sent him backwards through the air toppling over a nearby grave. "Link watch out!" shouted Zelda. The boy lifted his head to see a group of incoming ice-javelins. He lifted himself to his knees and raised his shield just in the nick-of-time. The ice pelted his hardened leather and shattered into pieces.

Once the barrage was over Link stood and examined his shield which looked much like a honeycomb. A second passed before the elf caught glimpse of a small metal ball that landed at his feet. Link had no time to react as the blast lifted him into the air and set him down a rough ten feet away. A Rainbow of sparks danced upon his tunic sizzling the fabric. Link felt weak; the witch was relentless, it had not given much time to recover. He was not able to get close enough to strike, and he was out of projectiles. His body felt heavy and his head dizzy. Link opened his eyes but only saw black and white spots. His vision had begun to return when he heard the witch call out in a language he was unfamiliar with. The elf gazed about to reacquaint himself with his surroundings.

Just then then a vicious bark replied to the witch's call and a pack of large, black wolves seeped from the border of the forest into the cemetery. Teeth bared tight, eyes red as rubies. They snarled and spat as they stalked into Link's view, seemingly using teamwork to surround the boy. He slowly lifted himself to his feet and gripped his sword tightly. This was no longer a simple ambush, nor a search for a trinket; this was a fight for survival.

The witch barked and growled to the wolves, who returned a bark and then rushed the elf. Link swung his sword at the first wolf while at the same time reaching his shield over his back for rear protection. His blade ran swiftly through the canine's chest and into the skull of another attacker as the elf guided it back around. Link contemplated his odds; he was no match for the pack. He was going to have to enlist the unknowing help of the witch herself. It was a foolhardy plan, but it was something he thought, and he had no time.

Link felt the weight of a feral canine upon his backside forcing him to roll away; if his shield had not been between the two, he would have been torn apart. He slashed at another wolf, cutting it across the nose before turning and running back towards the witch. The occultist shrieked and let lose a volley of icy spikes at the boy. Link ducked out of dangers path and the barrage flew overhead sticking two wolves that were tailing the elf. The canines cried out in pain and broke away from their prey, leaving Link with only two more to deal with.

Zelda had searched nearly every gravesite by now; dealing with only two floating eyeballs while doing so. She had become increasingly impatient when she finally stumbled upon a tombstone that bore the writings, "_Polly Newha, here lies a thief_." Zelda fell to her knees and began to dig. There was a sudden flash of light which prompted her to glance over her shoulder to see the commotion. Link's sword bounced off of the witch's staff. The two weapons collided again sparking another flare of light. She feared that the witch's magic would be too much for the young man, she must hurry and find the grave's occupying body. A minute later Zelda noticed that the earth below her hollowed out. She kicked at the dirt collapsing it in on the remains. The pit had opened, revealing a skeleton dressed in tattered blue garments. She searched the man's body but found nothing. Zelda panicked for a moment, where was the thing she wondered. She shook the corpse and heard a metallic rattle. Zelda pulled the body to the side and found a metal box, a chain, and a spike with four hooks protruding from it.

Link strafed aside barely dodging a flying bolder. He raised his shield and sword and blocked an incoming gravestone. The heavy granite bounced away, causing Link to stagger backwards. His arm was sore; his shield felt as if it had grown in weight. He had to finish this fight soon. He had closed the gap once more and engaged the witch, which in itself was rough. Link brushed away another attack with his sword, then spun around to keep his momentum, and ran his blade through the witch. It shrieked loudly and the cauldron water covering its body splashed to the floor. Link knew this was his chance; the witch would be unable to replenish itself.

The boy slammed his shield into the witch's body and knocked it to the ground. But before he could raise his sword to finish the job, a swarm of flying eyes swooped down upon the boy. Link slashed furiously at the invading foes. Long strands of hair wrapped around his legs and arms. It was becoming increasingly harder to fight off the enemies. Link dropped his shield and grasped his sword with both hands. He muscled the blade through the tentacles, cutting himself free, strand by strand. As the hair was cut, the eyes fled the battle in pain.

After a great effort, Link had freed himself only to see the witch in full retreat. He reached down and picked up his shield. The elf took a giant step and hurled the hard leather disk through the air, catching the witch in the back of the head. The body fell in a heap to the dirt, and Link jogged over to finish this cursed creature for good. Upon reaching the fallen witch, he stepped off a tombstone and leapt into the air and brought his sword down in full force, sinking his blade to the hilt into the witch's back. There was a loud crack like thunder that echoed through the night sky. The reverberating sound could be heard miles away; this Link knew, would be heard by the necromancer. He would have to hurry back to Eric's house before the necromancer arrived.

Zelda ran to Links side, he noticed she had the device in hand, "You got it." he sighed in relief. And no sooner had he finished his sentence, had a loud, wicked laugh boomed from the town below. An explosion lit up the sky with a red and purple fireball. The two elves looked at each other in dire shock. "We need to get down there now!" Link exclaimed. His bloody glove took the girl's hand, and he pulled her back to the cemetery gates. The two sprinted down the road; above their heads the clouds began to swirl, bolts of lightning flashed in the dark sky.

Link feared they would be too late upon reaching Eric's place. Through the naked trees the two could see the village entrance. "We are almost there!" said Zelda enthusiastically. Just as the elves reached the fence line to the village, the floor beneath them trembled and cracked, splitting like a seam of silk. Link came to a sudden halt but was knocked into the crevasse when Zelda slammed into his back. As Link fell, he stretched forward grabbing ahold of the land on the other side. He hastily scrambled up the dirt wall to safety. Link looked back at Zelda and glared, her clumsy mishap nearly cost him.

Link turned to the village and looked for Eric's house. The scene was like a hazy black fire; though in reality nothing was ablaze. The houses waved and flickered like flames in a furnace, and then Link found it, the house of the smith. And standing just in front of the house was a black clad man. "Koka…" muttered Link. The tall man looked more devilish creature than elf; as if the corpse of a passed elven man had arisen dressed in a black leather. His jacket oozed black syrup-like goo from its seams. Long, black feathers ran broken from the collar as well as the bottom seam. Koka's pants matched his black costume with his boots being covered with matching feathers.

Floating in a cage of what seemed to be bones, was Eric and his family. Link felt a rage grow in his gut, how could he have let this happen? "Let them go." he ordered.

The necromancer waved his hand and the cage moved behind him, "You're the one who slayed my witch." he said. Koka's voice was not what the young elf expected to hear. His voice was very low and dark. It gargled as if the necromancer had a lung full of fluid.

"Then you have no quarrel with this family, only with myself." Link proposed. He prayed the necromancer would leave Eric's family and focus on himself. Maybe that would give Eric and his family enough time to escape with Zelda.

"No, for you would have not slain the witch without this man's aid." Koka replied. "You will find the elf and his kin at my castle." The necromancer clapped his hands and from the earth appeared an enormous skeleton night crawler. The bone cage vanished and then reappeared in the ribs of the giant worm. "Take them back to the castle Borgoj." Koka ordered. The creature let out a deafening cry then burrowed back into the earth. Then, in all of his black goo, Koka slinked into the dirt and disappeared in a scurry of hundreds of thousands of little black spiders. "Good luck." his voice roared from the woods.

No sooner had the necromancer left the village, did the surrounding area return back to its normal state, the land was no longer cracked, and the sky was beginning to lighten with the sunrise. Link noticed something he had not seen upon first entering the village; the torches were all alit with warm orange and red flames. The town looked normal, or more so than when he first stumbled upon it. A moment later Zelda rushed to his side and clasped his hand, "Link, are you alright?" she asked.

Link snapped out of his brief daze; the whole scene had left him dazed and with many quandaries. "Yes, yes I'm fine. Thank you." he replied. "What about yourself?" he inquired turning to meet her eyes.

"I am alright." she replied with a faint smile. Link kept his gaze, this was the first time he really took notice to the girl's beauty, maybe it was the coming light, or his adrenaline. "Link, what are you staring at?" she asked, her cheeks flushed bright red.

"Forgive me." he said shifting his gaze to the floor. "Koka took Eric and his family." Link said despairingly. He looked at the device in Zelda's hands, "I'm afraid we will not be able to accomplish our mission here."

"Nonsense," Zelda snapped, surprising the boy, "let us look for clues in Sir Eric's house, surely he knew this would happen. It is possible he left us something." she suggested. Link bowed his head and shrugged his shoulders in compliance. Zelda led the way up the road and to the porch. She let Link open the door; his shield high and his blade ready as they entered the house. The two examined the empty hallway, no sign of struggle, no sign of danger.

Zelda had stepped from the entranceway to the man's workshop. She was looking for something, anything that would help them with this contraption that Eric had sent them out for. She pushed aside tools, books, and weapons. She pulled open cabinets but still found nothing. Zelda was frustrated, there had to be something. They couldn't be left in the cold like this, not if they planned on helping restore these woods.

Link stood at the doorway and leaned against its frame, "From the look on your face, I would guess you were unlucky in your search." he said.

"You are correct." she replied sitting back against a workbench. "I just do not wish to believe that we fought so hard for this tool, only to be unable to press any further now." she said in lament. She had just begun to cross her feet with the small, unstable bench broke in half. She toppled backwards and reached for support from anything nearby. Instead she knocked over a set of armor and a shield.

Link chuckled as he walked over to assist the girl, "Your clumsiness brightens my spirits." he said lifting the shield away.

Zelda grabbed the metal disk, "Wait!" she exclaimed. Link froze, confused as to Zelda's manner. "There it is." she said in astonishment. She let go of the shield and Link turned it around to examine. Sure enough, there were instructions carved into the leather lining. Link grabbed a pair of sheers and removed the leather from the metal; he laid it across another workbench near the two and examined the diagrams. Eric, in his wisdom had left instructions on the precise tools that would need to be used, as well as a rough guide to what Link would have to look for and possibly fix in the grappling hook's chain and lock mechanism.

Over the course of a few hours Link and Zelda followed Eric's simple directions, and with vast amounts of patients were able to correctly disassemble, clean, repair, and assemble the grappling hook. The two elves felt a great feeling of pride sweep over as the cleaned up the workroom. For both, this was the first time they had really done any sort of welding or worked with any type of complicated mechanics.

Once finished, Link walked outside into the newborn sun. He glanced around and caught sight of a tree sitting around the side of the house. Zelda watched as the boy pointed the device towards the top of the tree. Link pulled the trigger and the spike shot forth dragging the chain with it and penetrated the tree's trunk. The hooks deployed from the base of the spike and anchored themselves into the wood. Link let go of the trigger and was immediately pulled to the treetop. Zelda laughed at the boy as it was apparent this sudden retraction took him off guard. Link soared through the air until reaching the tree, where he hugged its branches tightly in fear of falling.

"It looks to be working properly." Zelda shouted up to Link. She couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"Yes, it looks as if we are ready for Koka." Link replied, climbing down the tree. "Let us grab fresh gear before storming the necromancer's keep." he added once safely upon the ground. Zelda agreed, and the two made their way back inside the house. Link grabbed a fresh iron and bronze shield which was bigger but not much heavier than his previous shield. The elf had fashioned a belt with small copper ringlets; he slung the belt over his shoulder and placed two short harpoons in its coil. He equipped some lightweight copper plating over his boots and gloves, and fitted himself with a leather headpiece that protected his forehead and jaw.

Zelda grabbed a leather tunic and place it under her robes. She strapped on a pair of copper shoulder pads as well as copper bracers. Zelda decided to keep her curved short-sword as it was light and easy for her to wield.

Before leaving the house Link muttered a prayer for the family under his breath, then looked at Zelda, "Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yes, I believe so." she replied.

"You must more than believe." said Link, "Do you _know_ that you are ready to face the necromancer?"

Zelda was silent, she thought about the dangers that this mission entailed. Was her life, the life of royalty worth risking for a commoner? She didn't think so, but out of pride she wouldn't let Link know that. "Fine, I _know_ I'm ready." she said to the young man. Link gave a curt nod and swiveled around to the door and briskly stepped out, Zelda skipping out after him.


End file.
